Twilight 25, Round 5: Love Bites
by bmango
Summary: Two one-shots and 23 drabbles. Most revolve around different types of love - familial, hopeful, destructive, fantasy or once-in-a-lifetime. Different ratings, pairings and genres - no two are the same. Some slash. Rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1: Surf and Sun

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 1 (VW bug photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Edward/Jasper

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

.

**A/N**: Thanks to LyricalKris for beta-ing this one. This is Edward's POV.

* * *

><p>I sit on my porch, one coffee in hand, one coffee waiting on the step next to me, and my surfboard propped against the railing.<p>

Jasper had called just as the sun was thinking about rising and said that the waves 'could not be missed' this morning. And, because I can never say no to my best friend, here I am waiting for him.

I hear his car before I see it, his white VW bug noisily climbing over the top of the hill and his hand already raised in greeting. How he can be friendly at this time of day, hell every time of day, I'll never understand.

He pulls up along the curb, hopping out of the still-running vehicle to help get my board strapped to the roof next to his. I stand and stretch, grabbing the second coffee as he lifts my board and gives me a broad smile, his blond curls dancing around his bright, blue eyes.

"It's not _that_ early, Edward."

I only grunt in response and he laughs, walking back to the puttering car and expertly strapping the board to the rack. I pause, appreciating the bunching of his muscles as he tightens the straps, and I have to shake my head to stop the images that seem to be more frequent as of late.

His arms around me. His muscles tightening for completely other reasons.

The engine gives a particularly loud hiccup and thankfully distracts me from me train of thought. "Car acting up again?"

He shrugs and gives me a smirk. "No more than usual. It's just safer if I don't turn it off right now."

I nod, his car has always had a quirk or two, and climb into the front seat. He climbs in next to me, and I hand him his coffee. His lips purse as he blows across the top of the mug, steam swirling from the hot liquid. I'm mesmerized as he takes a small sip, and his tongue darts out to sweep across his lips slowly.

My chest tightens and I grip my coffee mug and the door handle to prevent myself from doing something embarrassing. Every day this urge is getting stronger, and I don't know if I can take being best friends with the one object of my desire. Problem is, I'm also entirely sure I can't stay away from him.

"Edward? Earth to Edward?"

I blink and notice his hand waving in front of my face.

I feel the blush rise to my face. "Sorry, I'm a little out of it."

"I'll say." Suddenly he turns onto a different street, veering away from our normal beach, and giving me a sly wink. "I think today calls for a change of scenery."

I only nod again, too tired and too wrapped up in my head to even try normal conversation. Jasper turns on the radio and rests his hand on the side mirror, the breeze coming in the open window already warm and salty.

"It's going to be a perfect day," Jasper says when he pulls into the deserted parking lot. "We even have the entire beach to ourselves."

I am once again torn. Ecstatic that we will be alone and that he wants to be alone with me, but scared that I will say or do the wrong thing and end this friendship. He knows I'm gay, and we both know he's decidedly not.

We sit and watch the sun play on the waves as we finish our coffees. Eventually, he prods me enough that I agree we should go in the water. He's right that it's only a matter of time before the some other surfers show up and ruin our pristine beach.

We climb out of the car, the warm breeze greeting me as I unstrap my board, hefting it under one arm and grabbing my wet suit bottom with the other. We take our time once we're out on the sand, waxing our boards and squeezing into our suits as the sun continues it's slow track across the sky. Soon enough, I'm ready to get out into the surf, the one place I feel at peace.

Well, used to anyway.

Jasper's presence used to fit into that feeling of peace, the world ebbing away as I rode wave after wave, nothing but the ocean and me and my board. And Jasper yelling and laughing.

As I follow him into the water, both of us climbing on our boards to paddle out, I have to stop myself from focusing on his body, on his perfection. Instead I concentrate on my breathing, the rhythmic movements of my arms, and the never-ending sound of the surf meeting the land. Once we are out amongst the breaking waves, we sit up on our boards, and I find myself staring at Jasper again as he leans back with his eyes closed and his naked chest glistening.

"The sun feels amazing today."

I chuff, splashing him lightly. "It's amazing every day."

He looks at me then as if to respond, but he suddenly clamps his mouth shut, his jaw tightening as the smile disappears from his face. "Looks like we have company."

I look over my shoulder to see the large red-orange truck that can only mean one thing.

Jake.

The one guy that cannot seem to take a hint about my level of interest in him. I glance at Jasper again. Perhaps make that the second guy.

"It'll be fine. We'll just ignore him."

Jasper gives me a look I don't understand and then shrugs. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's do this."

The next set of waves comes in, and they're perfect. Jasper paddles with them, rising on his board and setting his feet precisely the right moment. I watch him ride the wave in, his body an extension of his board and a purely beautiful thing to see.

The next wave comes in, and I can tell it's going to be one of those. The type that you see once a week if you're lucky, and today I happen to be lucky. I paddle with the wave, catching it at the right moment and shift to my feet, feeling the power under me as I harness it to hurtle across the water. I turn and twist, doing my best to take this wave for all that it's worth.

When the wave finally drops me into the shallow water, I can hear the whoops and hollers of Jasper and Jake, and I can't help but beam at them as they approach.

"Man it's almost as if you should call it a day after that one. It won't get much better than that!" Jasper says excitedly as I paddle over to join them in the shallows.

Jake claps me on the shoulder, letting his hand rest there. "Great ride, Edward!"

I shrug him off. "Thanks. And yeah, maybe I should call it a day." The look of sheer disappointment that crosses Jake's face doesn't surprise me, but it's exact twin on Jasper's face does. "I'm only joking. Let's get back out there."

Jasper's eyes light up. "Man, I was worried you were cutting our day short for a minute there!"

Right. I wouldn't want to ruin his surfing day.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Jake asks, looking only at me even though the question was directed at both of us.

"Public beach, isn't it?" Jasper answers snappily and paddles away before I can tell him to wait up.

When I finally do catch up, he's out of breath and facing away from me. Luckily, I left Jake far behind so I have a few moments to find out what's wrong.

"What's up, J? Why are you acting so off?"

Jasper turns to me, a fire in his eyes like I've never seen. "How can you let that guy be all over you like that?"

My defenses rise, wondering what the hell I did. "What? _Jake_? What _are_ you talking about?"

"Can't you see he's flirting with you?"

"Of course I can, but I'm not going to be an ass to him because of it."

Somehow Jasper gets even angrier, and I have no idea what I've said. "Why can't you tell him to back off? Do you like him or something?"

"First off, I have. And second, hell no! He's really not my type."

"The friendly, surfer type isn't your scene?"

I stare at him incredulously. "Actually, the meat-head, won't-take-a-hint, grabby asshole is not my scene. What is _with_ you?"

Without an answer he paddles away just as Jake reaches us.

"What's with him?" Jake asks echoing my previous question. He reaches for my shoulder again, and I've just had it with the whole thing.

I flinch away and turn on him. "Jake, not now. Actually, not ever. Just stop."

He looks like I've just kicked his puppy, but really I can't bother to be nicer right now. For some reason, Jasper is pissed at me and I have to know why.

I follow Jasper as quickly as I can, but I still don't reach him until he's already on the beach. His board is propped up in the sand, and he is sitting next to it, his knees bent and his arms dangling over them. His head is down, and he doesn't even lift it as I approach.

I kneel in front of him and lightly touch his arm, but he snatches it away from me. I'm about to leave him here with whatever foul mood he's in, but then I hear a faint mumble.

"What was that?"

He looks up then, his face completely blank. "You said you weren't interested in Jake. Is there someone you _are_ interested in?"

I sit back on my heels, shocked by his question and wondering how much to reveal. I mean, best friends are supposed to talk about this kind of stuff, right? I swallow thickly and say the only thing I can say. "Yes."

His eyes search mine for an instant and then he leans forward. "Who?"

His voice is so deep that I can feel it in my bones. And there's an ache there, an ache I know will never go away if I don't answer this question honestly.

His hand reaches for me hesitantly, wrapping around my forearm, and the heat of his touch startles me. I see the fear in his face, and yet he sets his jaw and asks again. "Who, Edward?"

I take a deep breath and release it slowly, knowing I'm approaching the point of no return. This admission could end everything. "You."

He gasps, and I lower my gaze, unable to witness the look of rejection that I've imagined on his face so many times. Gathering my courage, I straighten my back and prepare to stand. The sharp yank on my wrist pulls me off balance, and I fall forward, landing awkwardly on top of Jasper, toppling us both into the sand.

He recovers quickly, laughing loudly as I try to figure out what just happened. It's then that I realize that Jasper's arm is around me and he's not struggling to get up, to get away from me. In fact, it's almost as if he's pulling me closer.

"What are you doing?" I whisper, surprised at the huskiness of my voice.

"Not letting you go."

And there, on the beach in the warm sun, his lips brush mine in our tentative first kiss.


	2. Chapter 2: Fantasy world

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 3 (Laundromat photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Bella

Rating: K

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

A/N: Thanks to theladyingrey42 and LyricalKris for beta-ing/pre-reading all the rest of these lovelies. :) Thanks for reading!

* * *

><p>.<p>

I watch them as I pretend to read the trashy novel I brought.

The way the soft light through the grimy windows plays over her hair when she laughs.

The way he leans against the nearest washing machine, ankles crossed and smirk in place.

They are intriguing, more so than the fictional characters.

Do they get their happily-ever-after? Do they only get stolen glances and quick blushes, never daring to take it further?

I want to push them, make them take the leap.

Instead, I reopen my book, choosing the carefully created universe on the page over their unpredictable world.


	3. Chapter 3: After the Fight

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 19 (Tingle)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Jasper and Alice (AH)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>Lowering myself into the bath, I hiss as the scalding water hits broken skin, but the warmth feels amazing on the aches and bruises.<p>

There is a soft sigh beside me, and my glance finds her dark eyes on me, nothing but concern.

"I don't know why you let her push you like this."

"Maria says just a couple more fights and I'll be in." I lift my hand and trace it along her cheek. "I can win this, baby."

She smiles and kisses my palm, the familiar jolt of electricity sending tingles down my spine. "I know you will."


	4. Chapter 4: Never Existed

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 20 (Vanish)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Edward (canon)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

.

* * *

><p>The life he wishes for her doesn't involve him or his kind.<p>

And as surely as her memories will fade and her bruises will heal, so too will he vanish.

Visiting her room one last time is a torture for all of his senses. He breathes deeply, hoping selfishly to keep some part of her with him. He takes the pictures, the mementos, keeps them all for himself.

One task remains. The pain nearly ripping him in two as he walks away. But he knows one thing for certain.

When he's gone, she will once again be able to live.


	5. Chapter 5: Dream a Little Dream

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 8 (Daydream)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Rosalie and Emmett (canon)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

.

* * *

><p>She sits by the window, staring but not seeing the outside world. Her gaze is unfocused, her thoughts trapped in an earlier time.<p>

She feels him moments before his strong arms wrap around her, and he kisses her temple softly.

"You know I would give you anything."

She leans back against him, reveling in his love and warmth, but accepting that she hopes for the impossible.

"Sometimes I have the same wish," he whispers huskily.

She turns in his arms, shocked and wondering. His amber eyes are completely serious.

"I would change it all for you to have my baby."


	6. Chapter 6: Family Game

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 18 (Pitch)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): The Cullens (canon)

Rating: K+

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

A/N: A little fun...

* * *

><p>Another stormy night in the mountains, the thunder rolling off the granite like boulders tumbling down. The wind picks up, whirling Rosalie's hair around her head until she stubbornly pulls it under a cap.<p>

"Is everyone ready?" Jasper calls from the mound, tossing the ball in the air.

Alice looks around and closes her eyes for a brief second. "It's time."

Emmett steps up to the plate and points the bat at Edward in the outfield. "This one's for you!"

There's the windup. And the pitch.

Emmett nails the ball past Edward, starting their baseball game off with a bang.


	7. Chapter 7: Wedding Eve

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 7 (Clandestine)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Bella and Edward (canon)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

.

* * *

><p>"Alice is going to kill you."<p>

"I couldn't _not_ see you before tomorrow."

She glances at the clock by her bed. "You mean today. She _did_ tell me to get my beauty sleep."

"You want me to go?"

Her hand tightens on mine. "No."

"Good then. I'll stay."

"No! You can't do that either!"

The flush on her cheek is half arousal and half embarrassment, and I run my fingers over her heated skin. "What's the compromise then, Ms. Swan?"

"Hold me until I fall asleep?"

I look into her deep brown eyes and promise with everything I am. "Always."


	8. Chapter 8: True Happiness

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 5 (Snowy tree photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Alice (canon)

Rating: K+

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>I surround myself in stillness, in cold, in darkness.<p>

With no one's futures disturbing me, I only see my own, the one I know will be my true happiness if I only have patience.

I see them all: the universally caring, the truly brave, the fiercely loyal, and the impossibly awkward. And one that stands before the rest, the one that will accept me completely with no questions.

I sit for hours, letting the dream wash over me. As the sun rises, glinting off the newly fallen snow, I rise, ready to face another day of my current lonely existence.


	9. Chapter 9: Broken Love

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 2 (Broken wineglass photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Edward and ? (AH)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>When I finally break through the door, I find her sitting on the floor, picking up shattered china with her bare hands.<p>

"What are you doing? You're going to cut yourself!"

She looks up then, her eyes blank, blood running in a rivulet down one cheek and the other already purple with a bruise. "I have to clean this up before he gets back."

"No, you need to leave."

"I can't, Edward."

"But he's going to kill you."

Her vacant eyes blink once before she picks up another shard of glass. "No, he wouldn't ever do that. He_ loves_ me."


	10. Chapter 10: Abandoned Love

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 4 (Messy bed photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Leah (canon)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>Our peaceful, perfect bedroom.<p>

Well, at least, the one that was supposed to be ours.

All of our careful planning, all of our hopes and dreams and love could not stop what was best for the tribe.

What about what's best for _me_?

Whatever that is, it's definitely not this. I'm sick of living in this half-existence, looking at pictures of dreams that will never come true. Of watching others have everything I had wanted. Everything that was mine.

And I know, as surely as I was not the one for Sam, that there will never be one for me.


	11. Chapter 11: Unrequited

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 6 (Ambivalence)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Bella and Edward (AH)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>"I mean it, Isabella. Do not disappoint me again." He turns his back on her, effectively dismissing her from his office.<p>

"Yes, Mr. Cullen." She closes the door softly behind her and barely reaches her desk before her knees give out.

_I will not cry. I will _not _cry._ She presses her palms into her eyes, willing back the threatening tears. She hates her boss and despises his control over her life.

And, in turn, is utterly confused by him.

Because even with all his harsh words and his cruel smirks, she is completely, madly in love with Edward Cullen.


	12. Chapter 12: Insatiable

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 9 (Friction)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Edward and Jasper (AH)

Rating: M

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>His tongue slides along my length, and I can't stop the moan that escapes my lips.<p>

He pulls back and glances behind him, his roommate asleep only feet away. "Edward, keep quiet."

I nod, determined to stay silent this time. He once again lowers his mouth, and I cry out in my head, his hot tongue and plump lips bringing me closer and closer to my release.

He wraps his hand around my base and pumps with the same rhythm. The added friction shoves me over the edge and I come down his throat, biting my knuckles as he swallows.


	13. Chapter 13: Promising

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 10 (Insipid)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Bella and Edward (AH)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>She nodded at the man across the table from her as she forked another bite of the chicken and mashed potatoes they were trying to pass off as dinner here. <em>Why can't conferences ever have decent food?<em>

Nothing here was interesting. The sessions, the exhibitions or, as her gaze flicked back to the man prattling on, the other attendees.

She turned, suddenly distracted by a flash of color, a head of unruly, copper hair set atop a perfectly proportioned specimen of man.

Her mind flashed with possibilities as she recognized that he could certainly spice up this otherwise bland weekend.


	14. Chapter 14: Love Denied

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 11 (Worth Fighting For photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Edward (canon)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>He stares down at the unexpected words on the napkin and looks up quickly to see familiar spikes of dark hair before she exits the cafe. The simple note scrapes across the open wounds on his heart. As fresh pain crashes in his chest, he crumples the note in his fist.<p>

What could fighting bring him but more fighting and death and pain?

He just wants to be at peace. Just once.

_You will never be at peace without her_, a nagging voice says in his head.

"But _she'll _be fine. She's Bella. She'll heal eventually."

_Maybe. But you won't._


	15. Chapter 15: Forever Love

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 12 (Sitting in Tree photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Bella

Rating: K+

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>She sits in the old cedar, her cheek resting on her bent knee, waiting, waiting. How often has she wished that she could be here? How often did she not trust herself to control her urges?<p>

But now she is here.

She sees Renee through the window above the kitchen sink. There are more lines on her face, but it's been years since Bella has seen her.

Years since Bella had to leave, and her urges have lessened.

Now she knows she won't run into that house to get just one more hug. She has the strength to walk away.


	16. Chapter 16: Unprotected

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 24 (Man in Woods photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Sam (canon)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>He stands on the edge of the woods, scenting the air. The sickly, sweet stench of vampire is still present, but underneath it he can smell her.<p>

Bella.

That blood-sucker left her alone. Unprotected. Prey for anything.

With a growl, Sam crouches, and the fur pours out of his skin, his face changes and his senses become more acute. As a wolf, he easily finds Bella, smells her tears and her fear, feels her loneliness with an answering ache in his bones.

Shifting again, he bends and picks her up, cradling her against his chest and taking her to safety.


	17. Chapter 17: Piece of My Soul

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 14 (Pictures photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Carlisle (AH)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>I visit this gallery regularly, as in at least weekly. But this is the first time I've felt that I couldn't leave.<p>

The pictures in front of me are so simply arranged, close-pinned to a string, but the story they tell is anything but simple.

I see pain, sorrow, loss, and incredible loneliness.

What happened to this woman to make her see this in her every-day life? Why does it resonate with me?

"Who _are _you?" I whisper, leaning closer.

"My name is Esme."

I turn to find brunette hair, startling clear eyes, and the missing piece of my soul.


	18. Chapter 18: Cherished

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 16 (Lavish)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Carlisle and Esme (AH)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

**A/N:** Two Carlisles in a row... who knew?

* * *

><p>"Oh, Carlisle, you shouldn't have."<p>

I put the final touches on the table and light the candles before looking up at my stunning, but clearly shocked, wife. In that moment, as if there was any doubt, I know that I definitely should have. And I should do it more often.

"You deserve all of this and more."

She approaches, taking in the food, the candles, and the soft, background music.

"Let me take care of you." I step closer and wrap my arms around her slim waist, pulling her to me. "Let me love you."

"I will. I always will."


	19. Chapter 19: Wishes

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 25 (Wedding Cake photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Bella (AH)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>On Friday night, even after many protests from me, my two best friends and I try to find the cruise ship's dance club.<p>

Soon we hear music ahead, and Alice grips my arm tightly, pulling us along. We find ourselves in a beautiful corridor illuminated by hundreds of candles.

Well-dressed people are milling about, talking and laughing, the excitement and happiness palpable even though we don't understand.

Then I see the giant, ornate cake.

And the radiant couple in white, the source of the surrounding joy.

"Come on, this isn't what we're looking for."

But, somehow, I wish it were.


	20. Chapter 20: Those Summer Days

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 13 (Goodbye Summer photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Edward and Bella (AH)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>I lean back, the sun warming my face as I close my eyes. A shadow falls across me, and I look up to find my girl standing there with her hand on her hip.<p>

"What are you doing, Edward?"

"Enjoying my last free days before we have to head back to school."

She frowns but sits next to me, her dark brown hair falling across her bare shoulders. "I guess it's the end of the summer."

"Yeah, but it's the start of our last year of college and then..." I take her hand in mine.

"The rest of our lives."


	21. Chapter 21: Lickable

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 17 (Lick)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Jasper and Edward (AH)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

.

**A/N:** An extra one because it's cute and I'm happy...

* * *

><p>I'm shaving at the mirror when the shower turns off, and he flings the shower curtain open. I stifle a smile - dramatic as always.<p>

"Jasper, did you take my towel again?"

I rinse my face quickly and look down to find his monogrammed E on the towel wrapped around my waist. Then I look over at him, and my smile turns into a smirk. He's standing there naked with a frown, his foot tapping. "Maybe I just wanted to dry you off myself."

I turn, removing his towel and stepping closer. His eyes widen. "With what?"

"With my tongue."


	22. Chapter 22: Vengeance

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 21 (Lifesaver photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Victoria (canon)

Rating: T

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>The wind whips her hair around her like a shroud as she clutches the railing in front of her. A storm is approaching, but it is nothing like what she will rain down upon those that took her love from her.<p>

Took her life.

There is nothing left in her but a loss so complete it feels like she is empty inside.

Only one thing brings fire to her veins now - vengeance.

She will have her retribution if it is the last thing she does. He killed her James and so too will his mate die at her hand.


	23. Chapter 23: Soft

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 22 (Butterfly photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Renesmee and Edward (canon)

Rating: K+

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>"Stand very still, darling." I place a few drops of sugar water in her waiting palms and back away slowly.<p>

She becomes completely still as only a vampire can. As the first butterfly approaches, her thoughts are screaming at me, but she doesn't even twitch a finger.

"That's it, sweetie," I say, encouraging her composure.

The monarch butterfly lands on her fingertips and dips forward to lap up the nectar in her hand.

_Dad! It tickles! It's so soft!_

I smile at her internal exclamations and love that I can share this simple moment with her.

My daughter. My everything.


	24. Chapter 24: Together

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 23 (Couple Covering Eyes photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Edward and Bella (AH)

Rating: M

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

* * *

><p>"Close your eyes," he whispers as we kneel together.<p>

"Okay, but you do too."

His warm palm covers my eyes as I reach forward and do the same over his. "Now all is fair."

I reach forward with my other hand, and curl my fingers around his warm, hard length just as I feel his finger slip through my wetness. He nudges my clit and then circles it with swift, soft movements. I pump him quickly, using my saliva to lubricate, and his breathing hitches.

In an explosion of sound, we come, pulsing in a darkness that we created.

Together.


	25. Chapter 25: Don't Leave

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**

thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: 15 (I'm Sorry photo)

Pen Name: bmango

Pairing/Main Character(s): Edward and Jasper (AH)

Rating: M

Photo prompts can be viewed here:

thetwilight25[dot]com/round-5/prompts

..

.

**A/N:** And this is the last of my entries, back to my favorite pairing. Big thanks to LyricalKris and theladyingrey42 for helping me with all of these. Thank you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed them!

.

* * *

><p>I leave work as soon as I get the call. Jasper is having one of his bad days.<p>

When I arrive, I find him huddled in the corner of his white room, rocking slightly, knees drawn up and back bent as he furiously writes on a scrap of paper on his leg. His left arm is bent over his head as if trying to fend off a blow.

I step to him quietly, laying a hand on his shoulder, and he flinches away and whimpers, pressing himself further into the corner.

"Jasper, it's me," I whisper.

He pauses for only a moment in his scribbling, but then continues as if I'm not there.

"Please, talk to me, love. What can I do?"

He shakes his head furiously, and I lean forward to get a better look at what he's writing this time.

The repeated apologies, the obvious self-torture, break my heart, and I ignore his protests as I sit next to him on the floor and pull him into my arms. "Never, my darling. You are the only reason I have for happiness. Do not be sorry for that." I murmur into his hair and hold him close. Soon his shaking stops, and he calms in my arms.

"Jasper, you are my everything."

He looks up at me then, his eyes wild and his cheeks wet.

"I'm not enough, though."

"Enough for what?"

"Enough to keep you from being sad."

I look into his clear, blue eyes and I cannot lie. "No. But everyone gets sad sometimes."

"Not like you though. Your sadness is like a weight in my chest, and I want it to go away." He presses himself to my body and abandons his paper to wrap his arms around me, clinging to my shirt.

"I know, my love. I know."

But how much can we change things when he's here in this hospital, in this place that is supposed to make him better, and I sit at home hoping he will be. The doctors have labelled him bipolar, but to me it is almost as if he is a sponge for everything around him, absorbing the good and the bad into himself until he short circuits.

And collapses.

Or, worse, explodes.

"I want to go home, Edward."

I sigh, knowing that each time he asks I have a little less willpower to say no. That each time I do deny him, I can't stand myself. I hold him tighter to myself, willing him to understand, willing him to break through his illness and not be dependent on drugs and therapy, not have to live here separated from me.

"Soon," I say, because I can't say anything else. I'm tired of living without him. And he's right, I'm sad. No, that doesn't even cover it, not even close.

He moves against me, squirms closer, putting his face directly in front of mine. "Do you mean that?"

I smile, brushing his long hair from his face, feeling the odd, stringy, greasiness of what used to be so clean and soft. "Yeah."

"Edward," he says, leaning closer. "I need you. I can't live here like this."

"I know, love. I need you too."

And then I realize why the treatments haven't been working, why his bad days are getting worse the longer he stays here, why they can do nothing for him but he still listens to me.

Together we are whole. Perhaps not perfect, perhaps not completely well, but better than when we're apart.

"Let me talk to the doctors."

I move to stand up, but he holds me even tighter. "Please don't leave me."

"Just for a moment, darling. I promise I'll be right back." I squeeze him to me, placing a soft kiss on his temple. "Promise."

He nods his head against me, not looking up, and I manage to regain my feet. I hear his soft murmurs behind me as I approach the door, and I hope, I pray that he is not sinking into his fears.

In the hallway, I find his doctor leaning against the wall outside the door, intently reading through a file. "Dr. Johnson?"

He looks up, startled. "Ahh, Mr. Masen. Have we gotten the patient back under control again?"

I never liked this doctor. "Yes, in fact, I think I'd like to take him home with me."

"I don't think that would be wise. Mr. Whitlock has not improved as much as we'd like." He shrugs, as if he's had nothing to do with the apparent lack of improvement.

"No, I can see that. But I think he's actually getting worse."

"Well, maybe transfer to another facility is a possibility. There's a nice hosp-"

I put my hand up to stop him. "No, no more hospitals. I want to take him home."

"Today?"

"Now." I growl and step close, my patience wearing dangerously thin.

"Again, I don't think this is a wise decision."

"You've made your opinion known, doctor. Now get us out of here."

I leave him in the hallway and return to Jasper's room, only to find him in a ball on the floor where I left him, his whole body shaking. I rush to his side and wrap my body around his, hoping to calm him again. As soon as I touch him, his shaking eases and he unfolds enough to grab onto my shirt and pull me closer.

"I could hear your anger," he mumbles into my chest.

I run my fingers over his back, feeling his muscles relax under my touch. "I was angry, but not with you. We're leaving here today, now."

He lifts his head then, his hopeful eyes searching mine for the truth. "Leaving?"

"Yes."

"Together?"

There is so much hope and sadness in that one word that I wonder how I ever left him here in this place. "Together."

"Edward, don't ever leave me like this again."

"Never, my love. Never." I pull him into me, holding his body close and vowing silently that I will be the one to protect, to help heal him. To keep him and love him no matter what.


End file.
